## Birds Dream, Too!
Research from a group of Argentinian scientists has revealed that birds indeed dream, just like many other animals. This is evident in their eye movements, breathing patterns, and small vocalizations during sleep. While the content of their dreams remains a mystery, science has yet to delve deeply into this realm.
The study focused on a small Argentine sparrow, whose brain activity was monitored while it slept. The researchers discovered that the area of the brain associated with music lights up both when the bird sings and when it dreams, regardless of whether it’s singing out loud or in its sleep. Notably, the syrinx, the vocal organ in birds, moves in the same way during both waking and dreaming singing.
Peeking into the Birds’ Dreamscapes
When the male kiskadee dreams, its silent trills become more pronounced. Its wings also tend to stay on its head during this vocalization, perhaps as a territorial display. Physicist Gabriel Mindlin, co-author of the study, has successfully simulated the movements of the vocal organs in the form of equations, suggesting that birds may unconsciously adjust their songs in their dreams.
Mindlin emphasizes the surreal experience of observing a bird’s dreams. His team plans to expand their research to other songbirds, exploring how they learn and retain their diverse repertoire of songs.